By Neles Tebay
The Jakarta Post Correspondent,
A Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Jayapura
West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, sharing a common border with the independent nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG). It is only 250 km from Australia. As a Dutch colony, it was called Nederlands Nieuw Guniea (Netherlands New Guinea). The first Indonesian President called it "Irian Barat" (West Irian). The second Indonesian President called it "Irian Jaya". Since October 2001, through the bill of special autonomy for Papua, the territory is called Papua. However, indigenous Papuans call the territory West Papua.
The majority of indigenous Papuans are Christians. Northern Papuans are typically members of Christian Protestant churches while southerners tend to be Catholics. Christian churches include the Evangelical Christian Church (GKI), the Christian Missionary Church (GKII), the Catholic Church, the Advent Church and the Baptist Church.
Papuans have been victims of human rights violations since May 1, 1963. These violations include killing, torture, arbitrary arrest, disappearance and rape. 1 Jayapura based Institution for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy reports that during the last four years (1998-2002), there have been 136 cases of extra-judicial killings and 838 cases of arbitrary detention and torture; 2
The latest example of such a violation is the abduction and assassination of Theys Hiyo Eluay, chairperson of the Papuan Presidium Council and a tribal chief. He was abducted shortly after leaving the base of Kopassus, Indonesia’s special force, late on 10 November, 2001, in Jayapura, capital of West Papua. He was found dead the next day in Skow village, 50 km from the border of PNG.
As victims themselves, the Catholic Churches have been involved in defending and promoting human rights in Papua. However, the involvement of the Catholic Churches for human rights has been misinterpreted. They have been accused of supporting the separatist movement. Security personnel have intimidated church leaders and other human rights activists routinely. 3
In this paper I would like to address two points. The first examines the motives of the Catholic Church in the protection and promotion of human rights in West Papua. The second describes how the Catholic Church defends and promotes these rights in West Papua. In the conclusion, I will highlight the root causes of the West Papuan case. These causes should be addressed in order to solve the Papuan case justly, democratically and with respect for human dignity and fundamental rights.
The Catholic Church believes that human beings have transcendental origin, which is created by God in accordance with His image and likeness. 4 Human beings also have a divine destiny, which is communion with God. The final vocation of human beings created by God is to participate in the fullness of life in God. So, they bring in themselves a divine vocation that constitutes their true dignity. It is God who is the beginning, the middle and the end of being human, and therefore God who is responsible for each person’s existence in the world. 5
The Catholic Church believes that the source of human rights is human dignity. Thus, violating human rights means violating the integrity of human beings and offending human dignity, which has a transcendental dimension. The Catholic Church affirms clearly and forcefully that "every individual - whatever his or her personal convictions - bears the image of God and therefore deserves respect." 6 Therefore anything that brings about discrimination in the fundamental rights of a person should be overcome and eliminated because it contradicts God’s plan. Therefore the Catholic Church continues to condemn anything that violates the integrity of human beings or offends human dignity. 7
The Catholic Church believes the Gospel demands the defense and promotion of human rights and should be a central point in its ministry. It considers that one of its essential missions is to proclaim the dignity of the person created in the image of God. The evangelical work of the Catholic Church in the field of human rights is an indispensable duty. 8 The Catholic Church is to defend and promote the dignity and fundamental rights of the human person. 9 This is why Christians should work ceaselessly and effectively to further the dignity, which each person receives from the Creator, and to join forces with others to defend and promote this dignity. 10
When human rights are violated constantly and human beings are continually victims of human rights violations, as in West Papua, the Catholic Church cannot remain silent, nor indifferent, nor pretend to be neutral between the oppressor and the oppressed. 11 "The Catholic Church is called to be on the side of those who are poor and oppressed in any way." 12 For the Catholic Church, there is no reason for not siding with the poor, the weak, the oppressed and the victims of human rights violations. Sharing the grievances and anxieties of the downtrodden, the Catholic Church defends human rights vigorously, promotes human dignity, and denounces and combats each form of oppression against human beings.
a. Defending human rights in West Papua
By remaining close to the victims of human rights violations, the Catholic Church in West Papua shares their suffering and grievances. It raises its prophetic voice, and assists the victims in achieving the recognition and promotion of their dignity and rights as human beings. As Pope John Paul II said, "the Catholic Church is determined to defend the dignity, the rights and the transcendent dimension of the human person." 13 How does the Catholic Church defend the dignity and the rights of Papuans?
1). Condemning violations of human rights
The denunciation of human rights violations is a form of the defense of human rights. Therefore the Catholic Church courageously condemns every barbaric action in West Papua. The latest example is related to the assassination of Theys Hiyo Eluay, the non-violent Papuan Leader. "We condemn this brutal, uncivilized act, which has shattered the noble dignity of a human being," the three Catholic bishops of West Papua said in their joint statement issued on November 15, 2001, in Jakarta.
2). Unmasking the truth of human rights violations
To reveal the truth of human rights violations in West Papua, the Catholic Church also takes the initiative to investigate some cases of human rights violations. 14 Usually, the reports are submitted by the Catholic bishop to the military commander, the chief of police, the governor, and the chairperson of the provincial legislative council in West Papua. Then it is up to these institutions to act on the information because the Catholic Church has no authority to push them to follow up on the report.
On January 14-18, 2002, the commission for justice and peace in the Catholic Diocese of Jayapura visited the region of Mountain Star, near the border with Papua New Guinea, where the local Papuans were allegedly being threatened by former members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM). The investigation revealed that a former OPM member was being used by the Indonesian army’s special force, Kopassus, which was deployed in the region. The Catholic Church reported the findings and submitted the result of the investigation directly to the commander of the Kopassus in Jayapura. The commander admitted using the former OPM member in the region.15
3). Invitation to the National Commission on Human Rights
The Catholic Church along with other Christian Protestant churches has invited the National Commission on Human Rights to investigate some cases of human rights violations. 16 Responding to their invitation, the national rights commission visited Papua several times and conducted investigations. The commission proposed to the central government some recommendations to be followed up. However, the Catholic Church has yet to see the response of the government on the investigated human rights violations. The perpetrators have yet to be tried in a court of justice. In this case, the Catholic Church can do nothing, which is very frustrating and dissatisfying.
4). Calling for an independent inquiry
The latest example is related to the assassination of Theys Eluay. The Catholic bishop, in collaboration with other religious leaders, called on President Megawati to form a nonpartisan team on Theys’ death. "The independent commission must comprise independent, credible members who have expertise in conducting an investigation so that they are capable of analyzing all the data and material evidence for the sake of justice and law enforcement," the religious leaders said in their joint statement issued on January 22, 2001. The statement was signed by Rev. Jack Mote as vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of Jayapura, Jan B. Rumbrar of the Christian Evangelical Church (GKI), H. Zubeir D. Hussein as chairperson of the local chapter of the Indonesian Cleric Council (MUI), and Noakh Nawipa as deputy chairperson of the Christian Missionary Church (GKII).
5). Calling for the protection of witnesses
When the witnesses of a human rights violation, such as a murder, receive threats, the Catholic Church and other religious leaders call on the police to guarantee their safety. The latest example was when the witnesses of the assassination of Theys Eluay were being threatened, and did not dare to speak the truth to the police. "We ask the National Police Chief to guarantee the witnesses’ safety," the Papuan religious leaders said in their letter to the national police chief in Jakarta. 17
6). Revealing the root causes of the West Papuan Case
In order to defend human dignity and human rights, the Catholic Church reveals the root causes of the West Papuan case. According to church leaders, there are three main causes, namely the unsolved human rights violations committed since May 1, 1963, the denial of the right to self-determination in 1969, and the Papuans’ cultural identity. 18
Papuans are aware of these three root causes. So, as long as they need to be addressed, Papuans will continue to call on the Indonesian government and the international community to help solve the Papuan case peacefully.
7). Analyzing the bill of special autonomy for Papua
The Catholic Church is called to analyze the policies of government and private companies to find out if they defend and promote the dignity and fundamental rights of Papuans. The Catholic Church has studied the contents of the bill of special autonomy for Papua. 19 The Catholic Church emphasizes that while the bill is good it is only a partial solution to the problems of prosperity and the recognition of the Papuans’ cultural identity. The Catholic Church, along with other religious leaders, does, however, welcome the special autonomy bill.
At the same time, the Catholic Church also highlights that the central government has failed to understand and accommodate the fundamental problems of West Papua in the bill. Prosperity is not the fundamental problem behind the Papuan case. It is just part of the problem. So, it is a big mistake if the question of prosperity is considered the main problem of Papua.
The Catholic Church points out that the special autonomy bill does not address the two fundamental problems, namely the human rights violations in Papua since 1963 and the denial of the right to self-determination in 1969.
Therefore, while supporting the implementation of the bill of special autonomy, the central government needs to find ways to solve the two root causes of the Papuan case. The solution should be just, democratic and with respect for human dignity and fundamental rights. The Catholic Church has repeatedly called for a genuine dialogue between the central government and the Papuans led by the Papuan Presidium Council. The Papuans have been calling for a genuine dialogue with the central government since the Second Papuan Congress held in May/June 2000. Instead of facilitating a dialogue, the government has responded to the call for dialogue by deploying thousands of troops in West Papua. Theys Eluay, chairperson of the Papuan Presidium Council, was a victim of the security approach applied by the government in West Papua.
In a situation where human life is not respected, human dignity is worth less than a chicken. Where human rights are violated, as in West Papua, the promotion of human rights is greatly needed. Oppressed Papuans should know their fundamental rights as well as their duties. The Catholic Church takes initiatives to promote these human rights and duties. 20 One way of promoting rights is through education about human rights in seminars and workshops, either for members of its church or for the extended West Papuan society. Another way of promoting rights is through supporting the West Papuan people’s self-organization and peace movements.
In the course of carrying out its prophetic functions of protecting and promoting human rights, the Catholic Church collaborates with some non-governmental organizations (NGOs), other Christian Churches (ecumenical collaborations), and other religious traditions (inter-religious collaborations) in West Papua.
In order to defend human rights at a national level, the Catholic Church has begun to collaborate with some Jakarta-based NGOs.
The voice of the Catholic Church raised either alone or with other religious leaders has had little impact in Jakarta. Churches have collaborated with some NGOs to highlight cases of human rights violations. However, even with the involvement of the National Commission on Human Rights, the perpetrators have never been tried in a court of justice to date. In fact, perpetrators have been promoted to higher positions. There is a culture of impunity and the Catholic Church has no power to break the impunity being perpetuated in Indonesia by the government.
In order to defend human rights, the Catholic Church realizes the necessity of collaborating with some international institutions or some institutions in foreign countries. The question now is: which international or foreign-based institutions are willing to defend the fundamental rights of the oppressed Papuans especially now that the international community is preoccupied with the issue of terrorism?
The Catholic Church in West Papua has been involved, is involved and will be involved in defending and promoting human rights as an integral part of its ministry for the sake of human dignity. It is not identical to supporting the Papuans’ independence movement as accused by the Indonesian military. Whether West Papua becomes an independent state or remains integrated into the Republic of Indonesia, the Catholic Church will continue to defend and promote human rights for the sake of justice and human dignity.
It should be appreciated that the Indonesian government through the special autonomy bill has recognized the Papuans’ cultural identity by changing the name of the province from Irian Jaya to Papua and by recognizing the Melanesia race, to which the Papuans belong.
Papuans have declared West Papua a zone of peace. They want to live peacefully in West Papua, in a territory free from killing, intimidation, violence and any form of oppression. 21 The Catholic Church -along with other religious traditions - fully supports any people or any institution in West Papua which is committed to upholding the territory as a zone of peace. The Indonesian government should support the Papuans’ effort to create West Papua as a zone of peace.
However peace is the fruit of justice. Therefore, justice should be upheld. For the sake of justice, past unresolved human rights violations since 1963 should be investigated and the perpetrators should be taken to the court of justice. For the sake of justice, the Catholic Church in West Papua has raised and will continue to raise the necessity of investigations of past rights violations. 22
The Catholic Church welcomes the special autonomy bill because it is good for Papuans in terms of prosperity, while at the same time the Catholic Church says it is only a partial solution. Other countries could help the local government and the two universities in West Papua, in terms of human resource development, in order to make the special autonomy bill a success.
Other countries and world institutions may help the Indonesian government, not only by giving financial aid to overcome the present economical crisis, but also in solving the root causes of the Papuan case. The European Union could help the Indonesian government solve past human rights violations in West Papua since 1963.
In solving the second root cause, which is the denial of the Papuans’ right to self-determination in 1969, the European Union could play a leading role. Firstly, since the Dutch government was involved in the process before and after the implementation of what is known in English as "The Act of Free Choice", the EU could call on the Dutch government to review its role and conduct. Secondly, being a member of the United Nations, European countries have a right to get truthful and objective information about how the UN played its role in settling the West Papuan case in 1969. The EU could call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to review the UN’s conduct during the process and the implementation of "The Act of Free Choice" in order to maintain the credibility of the highly-respected world body. The present General-Secretary has experience of reviewing the UN’s past conduct, as was done in 1999 in relation to the 1994 Rwandan case.
The Indonesian government should explain openly and honestly to Indonesian citizens how the government carried out "The Act of Free Choice" in West Papua in 1969. It is the right of any Indonesian to get truthful and objective information about the history of the country and the government maintains it is committed to address the right to information. 23 Church leaders in West Papua have been calling on the government to review the process and the implementation of 1969’s "Act of Free Choice" and explain it to the people in West Papua honestly and properly. 24
Ordinary Papuans, the provincial government, the provincial legislative council, humanitarian workers, West Papua-based NGOs, religious leaders, the Papuan Presidium Council, Papuan students, Papuan women and members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) believe that the only way to settle the West Papuan case peacefully is through a genuine dialogue. Since the Second Papuan Congress in 2000, they have been calling on the central government to hold such a dialogue. To date, the central government has yet to respond to the call for dialogue, and has instead deployed thousands of troops to West Papua. The EU could persuade the Indonesian government to hold a genuine dialogue. If the Indonesian government is not ready to hold a genuine dialogue, the EU could facilitate a dialogue between the central government and the Papuans led by the Papuan Presidium Council.
Unless past human rights violations and the denial of the Papuans’ right to self- determination are solved, the West Papuan problem will remain unsolved, even if the bill of special autonomy is well implemented.
1 For more detailed information about human rights violations in West Papua from 1963 to 1995, see Carmel Budiardjo and Liem Soei Liong, West Papua: The Obliteration of a People (London: TAPOL, 1984). See also Robin Osborne, Indonesia’s Secret War: The Guerilla struggle in Irian Jaya (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1985). The latest human rights violations in West Papua have been investigated and documented by the Catholic Church and the Jayapura based Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELS-HAM).
2 See, Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELS-HAM), Annual Report 2001.
3 Regarding the intimidation of Church leaders and rights defenders by the security personnel in Jayapura, see "Appeal of the Religious Leaders of the Province of Papua", issued on October 5, 2001. Six religious leaders in Jayapura signed a joint statement.
4 Vatican Council II: Pastoral Constitution on the Catholic Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, December 7,1965, no. 22.
5 See John R. Sachs, The Christian Vision of Humanity: Basic Christian Anthropology. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, pp.11 – 25.
6 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Centenimus Annus, May 1, 1991, no. 22.
7 See Vatican Council II, Gaudium et Spes, no. 27, 29, 47, 51.
8 See Congregazione per Il Clero, Direttorio Generale per la Catechesi (Citta del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997), no.18-19.
9 See Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, December 30, 1987 no. 41, and John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifidelis Laici, December 30, 1998, no. 37.
10 See the Address by the Pope John Paul II to the participants in the Colloquium "The Catholic Church and Human Rights" organized by the Pontifical Commission "justitia et Pax", 15 November, 1998, in L’Osservatore Romano, English Edition, 19-26 December, 1988.
11 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptor Hominis, March 4, 1979, no. 13.
12 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Missio, December 7, 1990, no. 60.
13 The Holy Father’s Address to Diplomatic Corps, Saturday, January 13, 2001, in Vatican. See L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, No.3 (1676) –17 January 2001.
14 The Catholic Church in Jayapura has published all the reports of the investigation, under the main title "Memoria Passionis".
15 See Berita Keuskupan Jayapura (The news of Jayapura Diocese), no. 48, February, 2002.
16 For example, the Catholic Church, the Christian Evangelical Church (GKI) and The Christian Missionary Church (GKII) have jointly invited the National Commission on Human Rights to investigate the human rights violations in Bela, Alama, and Jila (1998), Biak (1999).
17 The letter was signed by Mgr. Leo Laba Ladjar as the Bishop of Jayapura,
18 See J. Budi Hermawan OFM, Human Rights Conditions in Papua and the Role of International Humanitarian Agencies. A discussion paper presented in the UNHCR’s regional seminar on emergency management and contingency planning, in Bali, February 26-28, 2002.
19 Regarding the Catholic Church’s analysis of the bill of special autonomy passed by the House of Representatives, see TAPOL Bulletin Online 164/5-Dec01/Feb02.
20 For some activities of the Catholic Church of the Diocese of Jayapura in promoting human rights during 2001, see the Office for Justice and Peace, Annual Report 2001, January 2001.
21 See the resolution by the Papuan tribal leaders issued on February 28, 2000, in Jayapura.
22 See also the Office for justice and Peace, The problems in Papua: A presentation by Catholic Church Leaders in Papua at a Personal meeting with the President Abdurrahman Wahid, Jakarta June 27,2000. Jayapura: Jayapura Diocese, June 2000.
23 Pope John XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, April 11, 1963, no. 12, see also Vatican Council II, Decree on the Means of Social Communication Inter Mirifica, December 4, 1963, no. 5.
24 See "Some Recommendations of the Catholic Church Leaders for Solving the Papua Problem" presented by the Catholic Church Leaders to the President Abdurrahman Wahid, when as president he visited Jayapura, 30 December 1999-January 1,2000. See also the Office for justice and Peace, The problems in Papua: A presentation by Catholic Church Leaders in Papua at a Personal meeting with the President Abdurrahman Wahid, Jakarta, June 27, 2000. Jayapura: Jayapura Diocese, June 2000.
Catholic Church documents
Congregazione per Il Clero, Direttorio Generale per la Catechesi. (Citta del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997).
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centenimus Annus, May 1, 1991.
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, December 30, 1987.
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifidelis Laici, December 30, 1998.
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis, March 4, 1979.
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, December 7, 1990.
John XIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, April 11, 1963.
Vatican Council II: Decree on the Means of Social Communication Inter Mirifica, December 4, 1963.
Vatican Council II: Pastoral Constitution on the Catholic Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, December 7, 1965.
Budiardjo, Carmel and Soei Liong, Liem West Papua: The Obliteration of a People. London: TAPOL, 1984.
Osborne, Robin, Indonesia’s Secret War: The Guerilla struggle in Irian Jaya. Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1985.
Sachs, John R., The Christian Vision of Humanity: Basic Christian Anthropology. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1991.
Office for Justice and Peace, Annual Report 2001. Jayapura: the Diocese of Jayapura, January, 2001.
Tapol, Can ‘Special Autonomy’, Bulletin Online 164/5-Dec01/Feb02.
The Office for justice and Peace, The problems in Papua: A presentation by Catholic Church Leaders in Papua at a Personal meeting with the President Abdurrahman Wahid, Jakarta June 27,2000. Jayapura: the Diocese of Diocese, June 2000.
The Office for justice and Peace, The problems in Papua: A presentation by Catholic Church Leaders in Papua at a Personal meeting with the President Abdurrahman Wahid, Jakarta June 27,2000. Jayapura: the Diocese of Diocese, June 2000.
J. Budi Hermawan OFM, Human Rights Conditions in Papua and the Role of International Humanitarian Agencies. A discussion paper presented at the UNHCR’s regional seminar on emergency management and contingency planning, in Bali, February 26-28, 2002.
(1) For more detailed information about human rights violations in West Papua from 1963 to 1995, see Carmel Budiardjo and Liem Soei Liong, West Papua: The Obliteration of a People (London: TAPOL, 1984). See also Robin Osborne, Indonesia’s Secret War: The Guerilla struggle in Irian Jaya (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1985). The latest human rights violations in West Papua have been investigated and documented by the Catholic Church and the Jayapura based Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELS-HAM).
(2) See, Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELS-HAM), Annual Report 2001.
(3) Regarding the intimidation of Church leaders and rights defenders by the security personnel in Jayapura, see "Appeal of the Religious Leaders of the Province of Papua", issued on October 5, 2001. Six religious leaders in Jayapura signed a joint statement.